Fantastic Beasts
by gin893
Summary: Newt Scamander has been convinced into going to New York City to study magical creatures taking up residence in Central Park. Will his dreams of finally becoming a renown creature expert come true? Or will his misadventures with his friend Grant and American guide Desi get him into trouble with the Ministry of Magic?


Apparating in New York was a bit of a shock. Though it was similar to the rush and tumult of London, there was a distinct difference. Something more boisterous, something more flurried, something more… American. The Jazz Age had founds its home in the crowded streets of the Big Apple and Newt Scamander had never felt more out of his element than he did in that moment.

He hadn't wanted to go to New York; it had all been Grant's idea. Grant Tutmouse, heralding from Ravenclaw House at Hogwarts, had needed to do research abroad on the interaction between Muggles and Wizards outside of the United Kingdom. The Ministry of Magic had given him a grant to do so and he'd insisted his best friend Newt join him.

"Talk to your boss in the Beast Division, I'm sure he can find some work for you in the old US of A," Grant had said blithely, ruffling his wild blonde curls and kicking up his feet onto Newt's coffee table. He'd come over for tea and to share news of his good fortune and now Newt was rather certain Grant was going to spend the rest of the afternoon on his sofa, conversing about the newest Muggle contraption he'd heard about ("It's a radio and it plays Muggle music through it! It's incredible!").

"I… I'm not sure about that," Newt gulped. He idly fingered the pocket watch his mother had given him, one with a hippogriff engraved on the front. She'd always been so supportive of his studies with magical creatures but this… "What types of creatures could possibly inhabit a metropolis like that?"

"Ask! You never know what you might find," Grant smiled encouragingly.

Against his better judgment, Newt had done just that. The director of the Beast Division had supplied him with a contact, a woman by the name of Desdemona Lavoie, a witch who lived in New York and studied the creatures that lived in the city, trying to keep them from the notice of Muggles. "She's got her work cut out for her, apparently," the director had said. "If you're interested in work abroad, she'd be the best to get in touch with. She wouldn't mind a hand or two, it seems."

And so, when Grant headed across the pond to begin his work, Newt had followed suit, landing smack dab into the middle of Manhattan. Immersed in the Muggle world and completely out of his comfort zone, he fumbled down the blocks towards a diner he'd been told to meet Desdemona at. Why she'd asked him to meet her in the Muggle part of town, he wasn't certain. Perhaps she thought it would be easier than trying to direct him to the Wizarding district.

The diner was situated not far from Central Park and, despite the lunch hour rush, it wasn't overly crowded. Newt peered inside, nervously sweeping his ruffled auburn hair out of his eyes. There was a table near the window where a short, brunette woman was reading a book and idly stirring a cup of coffee. Written in faded letters was the title: _Dracula_.

This was her. Desdemona assured him she'd be reading the Bram Stoker novle, stating its relevance (and utter inaccuracy) but its normalcy for the Muggle world. Newt took a deep breath and entered the diner, approaching the table.

"Excuse me," he said, "are you Desdemona?" He wondered why he posed it as a question. He was in the right place and she was reading the right book. Now he felt a bit silly.

She glanced up, her brown eyes twinkling. "Please," she said. "Call me Desi. Everyone else does."

"Desi," he repeated. "I'm Newt."

"Glad to meet you. Take a seat, bunny."

He pulled out a chair and sat down. She smiled at him. "You look a bit nervous. First time in the States?"

"Yes. Yes it is."

Her smile widened. "I was in London when I was younger. Our two cities aren't that different but… well, we've got a different sort of rambunctiousness, I'd say. It's what happens when you dump tea in a harbor and insist in drinking joe instead."

"Joe?" he asked, confused.

"Muggle slang for coffee," Desi replied. She blinked her kohl-rimmed eyes slowly. "They've got slang for everything these days. I love it. Your chum Grant should have a field day with it."

"You know Grant?" Newt said, confused.

She shook her head. "I was in charge of setting up accommodations for you two. And considering that housing is a bit slim at the moment over in Harlem, it looks like you'll be sharing my humble abode for the time being. This is suddenly the hot spot for all trendy witches and wizards to go and… well, the wizarding neighborhood hasn't quite expanded for it. But Grant's due to move in this afternoon, so we'll have to head back there a bit later to make sure he doesn't accidentally apparate in the middle of Central Park or anything. The mermaids won't like it if he drops into their lake."

"There are mermaids in Central Park?" Newt cried.

"Newt, bunny," Desi said happily, "you have no idea how many magical creatures are in Central Park."


End file.
